ABSTRACT
The diagnosis of mental illness is like a threshold for many. Although treatment may be effective, there can also be relapses, ongoing uncertainty about the future, and an accumulation of losses. Likewise, family members of people experiencing mental health challenges might also grieve significant losses. This chapter outlines the losses that might be experienced by people diagnosed with mental illness and their family members and describes these as forms of chronic sorrow, due to their ambiguous and nonfinite nature. An illustrative case study depicts Annika, a woman living with bipolar disorder, and her father, Tom, to describe several losses that might be experienced by someone living with mental illness and a family member. These living losses may not be recognized by treating mental health professionals, many of whom have little to no training in grief and loss issues. As such, the chapter concludes with recommendations for clinical interventions as well as engagement and advocacy to reduce stigma, understand the living losses of mental illness, and promote recovery in the context of mental illness.
